Strange Bedfellows
by Hazel Reedfly
Summary: A little one-shot about Vidia and her take on Tinkerbell.


_A/N: I wanted to write Vidia from a deeper perspective. And who doesn't love when characters get deep?_

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**Strange Bedfellows**

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_How pathetically amusing_.

As harsh as it was, that was the fast-flying fairy's first speculative thought of Tinkerbell when she arrived that fateful day. All clad in a white dandelion ensemble, nervous yet eager to learn about the new world she had been born in to. Vidia watched her tentatively walk around, observing the objects placed before her on sprouted mushrooms, before the tinker's hammer began to glow. Although she'd never admit it, Rosetta had been correct when she so _thoughtfully _pointed out that the simple tool's radiance had outshone that of Vidia's talent tornado. It was sickening. As if everyone didn't have anything better to do than fuss over yet another new fairy. They had thousands of fairies in the hollow, and at least a dozen newborns arrived each year. Why was Tinkerbell so important? She'll never know. But what she did know was that the spotlight had been unjustly taken off her, and shone directly on the newest tinker.

Vidia was always the big cheese, so to say. Her fast-flying abilities surpassed the best of the best, and she was considered a rare talent. Fairies either feared or envied her, and occasionally both. Not that she minded, though. It was a huge self-confidence booster. However, she didn't have many friends because of it. Vidia also had a habit of becoming outrageously competitive, and once others caught wise of her less-than-desirable trait, for some strange reason no one wanted to compete against (or with) her during the Pixie Hollow Games anymore. The feeling was satisfying with a strangely bitter aftertaste. Not many were willing to put up with the fast-flyer's faults, nor did Vidia want anyone to. _I'm better off alone_. That became her signature catchphrase. She'd repeat those words as a mantra in her head with a scowl every time someone questioned her behavior, or some brave, courageous soul attempted to invite her to lunch or a trip to the cove. Eventually, they stopped asking. It always wound up backfiring anyway, with Vidia either isolating herself from the herd or summoning a gust of wind to knock some hapless fairy onto their butt.

Apparently, no one bothered to give Tinkerbell the memo. She thought she could just waltz up to Vidia, not a care in the world, and start up a conversation about their talents and actually _compare _them. And then suddenly had the nerve to grow a set and stand up to her. Who did she think she was? There was no newfound respect as a result of the defiance, just seething resentment. It was a gutsy move, and everyone knew better than to get on Vidia's bad side. Well, everyone except that infuriating tinker. She was so happy to be alive it made her nauseous.

There was that little event, and then there was the hawk episode. Everyone was courteous enough not to mention it after the fact (that, and they knew Vidia would imprudently whisk away any irritant to the far side of the Winter Woods), as that was the only time Vidia felt genuinely embarrassed. She got her revenge, though. Tinkerbell almost ruining spring was more than enough to sate. Was is cruel. Yes. Did she care? Not even in the least bit.

It was a while before the slate was cleaned. Tinkerbell was the first to break the ice weeks later. Vidia didn't apologize, and Tinkerbell didn't ask for an apology. She resumed her obnoxiously upbeat, friendly persona and attempted small talk with the fast-flyer, usually to no avail. Even after numerous failed attempts at a friendly relationship, Tinkerbell still made it a point to say good morning to Vidia, accompanied by a joyous smile. She tried including the brooding fairy in daily outings with her colorful friends. Vidia declined each time. She thought Tinkerbell saw her as a charity case, someone to fix. She didn't want to be fixed, and certainly didn't want to be pitied by others.

Two seasons later of Tinkerbell residing in Pixie Hollow, the fact began to sink that Vidia was stuck having to deal with her friendly chats. The only joy Vidia got out of conversing with Tinkerbell was antagonizing her enough to watch the blood rush to her face and steam shoot from her ears. Still, she would burn out as quickly as she ignited and morph back to her perky self in no time. Charity case or not, there was no way getting away from all that was Tinkerbell.

Those who were familiar with the tinker fairy knew that she had a tendency to be incessant when her mind was set to something. Vidia tried for rudeness, nonchalance, and just plain irritation, but nothing seemed to intimidate her. If anything, the minor obstacles presented only made the tinker's attempts at friendship even more frequent. It was only a matter of time before the fast-flyer just gave up. She'd hear her out with false hope that Tinkerbell would eventually tire of the one-way conversations. Of course she didn't, and Vidia didn't know whether to be exasperated, or strangely touched.

Only after the following year's summer at the mainland did she begin to change her outlook of the tinker fairy for the better. An emotion that Vidia hadn't even known she possessed surfaced, which was later deemed as guilt, and she did not like it _one bit_. She didn't like somehow feeling responsible for the whole human debacle Tinkerbell got herself mixed up in. It was an unsettling anxiety, and resulted in a spike in blood pressure that elicited a monstrous headache. However emotionally exhausting that day was, wet wings and all, it made Vidia realize that she did have a heart somewhere beneath that icy exterior. Maybe it was how heartbroken her friends would've been if something had happened to Tinkerbell, or that she secretly envied her for having such caring friends. Maybe it was something about possibly loosing the only fairy that ever attempted to get close to her. Whatever it was, something clicked that day. She allowed herself to feel the tiniest smidge of gratefulness for her, and discovered it wasn't all that bad.

And now? Seasons later, one could say Vidia has adapted to consistent social interaction. Tinkerbell has become tolerable to her, in a way that Vidia described as 'grew on me like fungi'. And that's putting it as pleasantly as her spiteful mind would allow. She could now handle being within less than one hundred feet of Tinkerbell, and prided herself in being down to three hateful thoughts per hour. For her, that's considered substantial progress. She actually found herself looking forward to Tinkerbell's stop-bys on her way to the workshop, but had yet to tolerate much of her tinker talk. One step at a time.

When Tinkerbell knew she was beginning to break through to the stiff fast-flyer, she began slowly including a reluctant Vidia in daily activities along with her friends. Vidia had been previously acquainted with her friends before the tinker's arrival at the Hollow, although it wasn't for the best reasons. She recalled numerous petty altercations that were almost always initiated by her, usually for no apparent reason, and just because she felt like it. They became a source of sheer amusement, and to remind the girls of just how much of a rare talent she was. Vidia knew she was cruel, and didn't deny it. If anything, she made sure that fact was well-established. So for someone who was only used being concerned for number one, it was a little strange to be an accepted part of such a tight-knit group of fairies that ungrudgingly took her in. As far as they all were concerned, all bygones were water under the bridge.

And that's when it hit her, like a giant acorn to the head. After everything she had done to the tinker, every caustic remark and attempt to utterly humiliate and sabotage the fairy, Tinkerbell still saw her as a friend. Rosetta, Fawn, Iridessa, and Silvermist still saw her as a friend. Vidia had _friends_. Eight seasons ago, if someone told her that, she would have laughed until she was blue in the face. But that was the old Vidia.

The new Vidia twiddled with a flyaway next to her temple, staring at the reflection in her living room mirror. The fairy that gazed back at her was more relaxed, pleasant, and the always present frown line wasn't as intense. She allowed sunlight to pour in from the windows and fill her quaint home with a warm glow. A stream flickered over her face, irradiating ice blue orbs. All this time, she had been a blight of happiness, a crusher of confidence, the Bane of the Hollow. However one would put it. And it took her all that time of tormenting others to realize just how grateful she was for people that truly cared about her, for friends.

Just then, Tinkerbell's golden-topped head poked through her front door.

"Knock knock. Ready for lunch? The girls are already at Dessa's."

She allowed herself a contented smile—just this once.

_Friends._

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_Thanks for reading! Shoot me a review and tell me what you think. I'm always looking to improve my writing. :)  
_


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